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Clarke bats in nets in Chennai

Greg Buckle

Australian captain Michael Clarke on Thursday stepped up his bid to prove his fitness for the three-day game against India A by having a bat in the nets in Chennai.

Test cricket's No.2-ranked batsman arrived in India on Tuesday night after missing Australia's fifth and final one-day game against West Indies in Melbourne on Sunday with hamstring stiffness.

The 31-year-old completed a series of light run-throughs on Wednesday at Chennai's Guru Nanak College Ground as the tourists played a drawn two-day game against the India Board XI.

While the biggest positive to come out of the game for the tourists was seam-bowling allrounder Moises Henriques taking 4-12, the sight of Clarke batting in the nets on Thursday is more good news for Australia ahead of the three-day fixture against India A starting on Saturday.

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The four-Test series starts in Chennai on February 22 and captain/selector Clarke is keen to field a Test-strength lineup against India A to give all his key players a hitout before the contest for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy gets underway.

Opener David Warner, who is nursing a fractured thumb, didn't bat on Thursday and could be in doubt for the India A clash.

A team spokesman said a decision won't be made on the fitness of Clarke and Warner until Friday.

Pace bowler James Pattinson, who took 1-24 off nine overs against India Board XI, said he expected both to play.

"They'll be wanting to get out there in these conditions before the first Test," Pattinson told AAP.

The performance of Henriques has caused some welcome confusion for Australia's selectors regarding the allrounder's role for the first Test.

Shane Watson's decision to play as a batsman-only because of injury problems and middle-order icon Mike Hussey's sudden retirement last month have left Henriques, uncapped Glenn Maxwell and five-Test player Steve Smith competing for a spot in the final XI.

Henriques says he's learnt a lot from his NSW teammate Watson, a two-time Allan Border Medallist, who averages 37 with the bat and 30 with the ball in his 38-Test career.

"To have one of the greatest allrounders in the world at the moment in the dressing room is certainly a great advantage and to be able to bounce ideas off someone like Shane (is a bonus)," Henriques said.

"What I tried to do is something that Shane does really well. He's very disciplined with his lengths.

"He rarely gives (loose balls). He builds a lot of pressure up on the batters and that's certainly something I've taken away about the way he approaches his bowling."